Internal combustion engine



Feb. 13, 1968 l L. cAvALLoNE ETAL 3,368,537

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Aug. 25, 1965 A TTOP/VE'YS United States Patent fice INTERNAL CQMBUSTION ENGINE Luis Lorenzo Cavallone and Antonio Trifiletti, Buenos Aires, Argentina, assignors, by direct and mesne assignments, of seventy-five percent to said Trifiletti and twenty-five percent t Luis J. S. Cavallone, Orange,

Filed Aug. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 481,530

2 Claims. (Cl. 123-16) ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE An internal combustion engine of the rotary drum type having a fixed casing and a cover therefor. A driven shaft is journalled in the casing. The shaft drives an eccentrically mounted drum which in operation reciprocates progressively in segmentally defined cylinders bounded by radially oriented blades which are caused thereby to slide in the casing. A floating ring is mounted on the blades and also moves in an eccentric, reciprocating fashion. Compressed air is forced into each cylinder through a port in the casing which is opened and closed by the operating drum. A second port in the cover also opened and closed by the drum provides escape for the products of combustion. The location of theports relative to the drum and their control thereby results in the drum having a greater expansion stroke than compression stroke which affords improved operating efficiency for the engine. Means are provided to render the casing and cover fluid leak proof.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and, in particular, to engines of this general type employing an eccentric device acted on directly by expanding gases to produce output rotation of a shaft connected thereto.

In general, the improved engine comprises an eccentric member and drum journalled thereto, the former being connected to a shaft which is the only rotating element. The shaft may constitute the output or may actuate the drum where the mechanism is to serve as an air compressor. The drum is caused to reciprocate in an eccentric movement Whether driven by the shaft or expansion gases disposed in any one of the chambers defined by the casing for the engine, the outer surface of the drum and blades mounted between the drum surface and a floating ring mounted exteriorly of the casing and concentrically of the drum.

The invention contemplates special provision for sealing the thermal chambesr defined by the blades to minimize gas pressure loss and friction. The seals are formed by conically shaped sealing rings in the drum and blades backed by pressure plates. Due to the limited movement of the parts friction is also minimized.

One object of the invention is to provide a new and improved internal combustion engine.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved internal combustion engine having a single rotating element and eccentric means for actuating said element.

A further object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine of the eccentric type which operates with greatly improved efficiency maintaining a low heat of friction generation and minimizing pressure losses in the thermal chambers.

Further objects and advantages of the invention may be appreciated on reading the following detailed description of one embodiment thereof which is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l represents the mechanism as used in an internal combustion engine as seen in a transversed section.

Patented Feb. 13, 196s FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on line A-A of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows the scavenging and exhaust ports facing each other the location of Which is determined by the circular motion of translation of the central drum.

FIG. 4 is a partial detail in section of the ring-shaped drum with its holding means.

FIG. 5 shows a partial cross section of a blade in its slot with holding bars.

FIG. 6 is a frontal view of the same blade and holding bars.

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the blade of FIG. 6 on the line B-B thereof.

In these figures the same reference letters or numbers indicate the same or corresponding parts.

The ring-shaped drum 1 is mounted on a bearing 2, which is at the same time mounted on an eccentric 3. The eccentric 3 is connected to the power shaft 4 which freely rotates on bearings 5 and 6 Which are mounted inside the carcase 7 and supporting casing 8 which contains the mechanism. The above mentioned bearing 2 permits the drum to move in a reciprocating eccentric movement.

The supporting cover 8 is attached to the casing 7 by means of bolts 9. The sliding blades 10 are located inside of slots made in the carcase 7. At the end opposite the one in contact with the drum each blade has a roller 11. A floating ring 12 concentric with the ringshaped drum 1 encircles all the blades keeping them in close contact kwith the external surface of the drum. On each side of this drum 1 there are two circular grooves in which there are two rings 13 joining each other with their conical shaped faces. A band 14 made of a thin steel wavy plate exerts pressure on the surface of the ring 13 facing it in such a way that, as the face of the second ring in contact with the casing 7 or cover 8 wears, the adjusted force between the different parts is kept constantly uniform avoiding any loss of pressure.

The principal stationary components of the engine are yits casing 7 and the cover 8 therefor. The drum 1 journalled on the shaft moves in a reciprocating, eccentric motion which is followed by the floating ring 12 as caused by the sliding action of the radially oriented blades 10 which extend through the casing 7 between the drum and the ring.

In two lateral grooves in the blade il()` there are rods 15 pushed by a thin steel wavy plate 16 against the surface of the cover 8 and the casing 7 in order to avoid any loss of pressure at these points. In two square shaped openings made in the body of the casing 7, close to the internal diameter of the ring-shaped drum, there are rods 17 joining each other with conical seats on twO faces. These rods are pushed against the frontal faces of the blade by thin steel wavy plates whose function is the same as that of the rings 13 and 14. In this way it it possible to obtain a perfect holding of the gases inside ofthe thermal chambers 19.

In the specific case 0f the internal combustion engine,

intake opening 21, where the scavenging air from a supercharger enters. This turbocharger may be operated by the exhaust gases and therefore the loss of power for this purpose is of no account. This supercharger is not shown in the drawings for it is a well known device whose application is common in modern diesel engines.

The pressurized air enters the scavenging port 22 and, following the path shown by the arrows, cleans the thermal chamber 19 of burned gases, to then discharge with the cases through the port 23 made in the cover 8 that leads to the exhaust pipe 24.

Fuel is injected through the opening 25 using any of the known systems of fuel injection. As soon as the fuel is injected, it mixes intimately with the fresh air from the scavenging that still remains in the chamber almost immediately after the ports close. When the thermal chamber reaches its smallest volume 19 a sparkplug 26 ignites the mixture.

With the ignition of the mixture comes the explosion and the gases and in their expansion exert pressure on the surface of the drum enclosed between the two blades and the lateral covers 7 and 3 of the thermal chamber 19. The thrust is transmitted to the eccentric 3 and, through this eccentric 3 is then transmitted to the power shaft 4 which has a rotating movement.

The particular location and shape of the port that is shown in FIG. 3 results from the action of the reciprocating eccentric movement of the ringhshaped drum 1 during its movement. The eccentricity of the drum 1 in reference to the shaft 4 is shown with the letter A, and B being the overall distance travelled by the drum. C and D are the radii of the drum and the casing respectively.

The drum 1 from the top end dead center E with radius C, reaches the position C1 during the expansion stroke, having made a useful travel M (point H) defining the curve line G with radius C1 that belongs to the exhaust port 23 made in the supporting cover 8. As the travel down continues it reaches the position of radius C2, defining the curve line G (shown dotted), that belongs to the exhaust port 22 made in the enclosing wall 7 of the casing. At this point starts the intake of the scavenging air. At this point the burned gases have already been partially exhausted and the internal pressure in the thermal chamber 19 is in. equilibrium with the pressure of the entering cold air.

When the drum reaches the bottom and dead center I, after the maximum travel B, and with the two ports wide open, starts the compression strike. Both ports close with the drum at the position shown by the curved line of radius C3 that coincides with the point H. At this instant the thermal chamber 19 is full of fresh air, that is compressed with the displacement of the drum towards the top end dead center E.

A few degrees after the closing of the ports, when the internal pressure is still small, takes place the injection of fuel through the orifice 25, and then the compression cycle goes on, as we stated above, until the top end dead center is reached having completed a useful compression travel L. At the point E starts a new expansion cycle to reach the point H with a useful travel M.

From the graph of FIG. 3 it is possible to see why the travel for expansion is longer than the travel for the compression cycle, that is, M is longer than L. These of air and refrigeration compressors, eliminating, of course, the ports 22 and 23 as well as the injection orifice 25 and the sparkplug 26. In this case, the casing 7 and the supporting cover 8 would be changed to receive in each compressing chamber the required intake and discharge valves. It is also possible to build self-contained units that are engine and gas compressor at the same time, intercalating along the circumference of the central drum thermal chambers and compressing chambers.

It can be shown that engines constructed according to the principles of this invention have an extremely high ratio of piston area to stroke for obtaining maximum flexibility of performance including a permissibly high increase in r.p.m. output. Increase in horse-power iS also remarkably increased. Owing to the characteristic shape and location of the ports and due to the reciprocating eccentric movement of the ring-shaped drum, it is possible to obtain an increase in the length of travel during the expansion stroke. The length of the expansion stroke is about 10% greater than the compression stroke which improves the thermal efficiency of the engine and is productive of greater power. Difference in travel between the compression and expansion strokes of internal combustion engines has not hitherto been known.

Various modifications of the invention may be effected by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope and principle of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An internal combustion engine of the radial blade compressor type comprising a drum having reciprocating, eccentric movement, a rotatable shaft disposed within the drum, an eccentric member connected to said shaft and journalled within the drum, a casing, an outer tioating ring, a plurality of blades defining with said casing gas burning chambers of varying volume, said blades being slidably supported in said casing and maintained in pressure contact with the drum by said ring, means being provided for causing the expansion stroke of said drum to be greater than the compression stroke threof, said means including an air scavenging port in the casing on one side of said drum and a gas and air exhaust port in the cover for the casing on the other side of the drum, the drum reciprocating as a piston between the casing and cover to alternately open and close said ports on its expansion and compression strokes, respectively.

2.. An engine as defined in claim 1 wherein a fuel orifice is disposed in said casing farther from the eccentric axis of the drum than said scavenging port, said orifice being also opened and closed by said drum.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l/1935 Carroll. 10/1939 Korany 123-16 

